LOWER GWYNEDD — Students at Lower Gwynedd Elementary School watched a home run of a lesson on Phillies baseball history during a visit from KYW Newsradio’s Paul Kurtz Nov. 6.

Kurtz discussed his new book “162-0: Imagine a Perfect Phillies Season,” which covers the history of the Phillies organization from 1911 through the present, and also promoted the importance of research and writing skills for the fourth- and fifth-graders at Lower Gwynedd.

The hour-long presentation highlighted a number of the team’s most memorable moments, including the two World Series wins in 1980 and 2008, along with the team’s most unforgettable squads like the Whiz Kids of 1950 (named for the majority of younger players on the team) and the Wheeze Kids of 1983 (named for the majority of older veteran players on the team) and finally the fantastic players like Jim Bunning, who threw a perfect game on Father’s Day 1964, or Chase Utley, whose first career hit in 2003 was a grand slam.

Kurtz incorporated multimedia into his presentation, using file footage from MLB.com and audio interviews he’s done over his career.

Advertisement

Most of the students in attendance were decked out in Phillies gear, many seeming enthralled by Kurtz’s stories of the decades of teams. Notably, however, few students raised their hands when asked if they had ever seen a game at former Phillies home Veterans Stadium.

Kurtz said the book took four months to write, calling it “a challenge” because each story had to be at least 400 words and there were tight deadlines to get it all done on time.

He said he chose to begin the book with the 1911 season because up until that point, there wasn’t enough material in order to flesh out some of the stories. Kurtz said he was struck by seeing ads for washing machines and vacuum cleaners at the ballpark before realizing these appliances were state-of-the-art technology at the time.

Working with students is a fun thing to do for Kurtz, he said, because he likes “connecting with kids” and getting them out of their comfort zone.

Holly Carlson, Lower Gwynedd Elementary librarian, said she asked Kurtz to speak because the topic is of great interest for the school’s fourth- and fifth-graders, and said it helps students understand the benefits of research and gathering information. By collecting interviews and by seeing the process through the eyes of a journalist, Carlson said students can see how the same work they do in the classroom is the same job Kurtz does every day to earn a living.

Kurtz said in addition to speaking at schools, he also meets with other organizations like men’s clubs and other groups to talk about the Phillies. He said he gets a thrill when he can engage longtime fans who will often tell him they were at a particular game where a historic moment occurred. There’s more of a give and take at these venues, he said.